The gaming world will now look upon a new powerhouse in the development industry. The two giants, Blizzard and Activision are merging to form a new business, originally named Activision Blizzard. This $18bn merge should take the gaming industry to a new level, with two vastly experienced companies now working together.
Activision have been renowned for their big games, such as the very popular Call of Duty series (including the recent CB Certified Call of Duty 4), and the ever increasing Guitar Hero series, along with a large amount of other titles.
However, a lot of people will certainly know who Blizzard are. To millions this game is their favourite past time, to thousands it is their hobby, and to some, it is their life. I am talking about the infamous World of Warcraft, the biggest MMORPG around. With over 9 million people paying a monthly subscription for this game, it is certainly one of the biggest games around.
The two companies have decided to merge together to see if they can produce even greater games and achieve even greater goals. The move will see Activision investing $1 million and Blizzard $2 million towards the company, and it will be run by Activision's CEO Bobby Kitock. However the biggest share holder will be Blizzard's owners, Vivendi.
Jean-Bernard Levy, Vivendi chief executive wrote:
This alliance is a major strategic step for Vivendi and is another illustration of our drive to extend our presence in the entertainment sector.
By combining Vivendi's games business with Activision, we are creating a worldwide leader in a high-growth industry.
What can we expect from this new powerhouse? We know that the follow on to the hugely popular Starcraft will be around soon, but will we see anything from the new company to challenge some of the other top games around? Only time will tell.
